Green Certified 'Bio' Cleaning Products

Enviro-Solutions Ltd. ISSA/INTERCLEAN Exhibitor Profile

Visitors to Enviro-Solutions' booth at the upcoming ISSA/INTERCLEAN North America trade show in Las Vegas will note an expanded and growing line of bio-based/bio-enzymatic cleaning products.

Enviro-Solutions believes "bio" cleaning products will play a far bigger role in the professional cleaning industry in years to come.

So, what are bio products?

A bio-based product is completely or significantly made up of renewable agricultural products such as corn and soybeans.

Bio-enzymatic products take this a step further, containing specific enzymes, bacteria and microbial nutrients that are designed to digest chemical and organic waste like odor-causing bacteria.

Although these products are the ultimate in sustainable cleaning, not all are green certified or proven green.

However, those manufactured by Enviro-Solutions are certified and do meet the environmental standards of EcoLogo, a major green certification organization, and/or have been registered or are in the process of being registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Bio-Preferred Program.

Pros And Cons

The fact that many of these bio products are green as well as sustainable makes them attractive options for all facilities.

However, there are some factors that cleaning professionals and managers should be aware of before making a selection.

For instance:

Performance: Many early bio products did not meet the performance standards of conventional and green cleaning products — and some still do not. However, Enviro-Solutions' bio products are now recognized as good as, if not better than, most conventional and green cleaning products.

Costs: Bio products can cost a bit more than comparable green and conventional cleaning products. However, this can vary depending on how the products are diluted; overall, these costs are coming down or comparable.

Proven green: As mentioned earlier, some bio products — not all — are green certified. Certain bio products contain resins, citrus or other plant byproducts that, while effective for cleaning, may be considered toxic. It is easy to determine if a product is proven green and certified because it will be proudly noted on the label.

Chemical mixing: Be aware that mixing bio-enzymatic cleaners with bleach or disinfectants can reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of both the cleaners and the disinfectants.

Odor control: One of the key benefits of bio-enzymatic cleaners is that they eat away at bacteria that can cause odors. When applied on an infected area, they begin to work immediately, and it is not uncommon for odors to disappear within minutes.

The performance standards of most bio products make them effective alternatives to conventional chemicals.

And, for facilities that are putting greater emphasis on sustainability, bio products — and bio-enzymatic products in particular — cannot be beat.